An adaptor device for connecting a sheathed heater with a power supply terminal wherein an end of a heater wire of the sheathed heater and an end of a lead wire are inserted into an adaptor sleeve and the ends of the heater wire and the lead wire in the adaptor sleeve are connected by a flexible wire. The flexible wire is a stranded wire or in the form of a wave.

Patent
   5897806
Priority
Sep 26 1996
Filed
Sep 22 1997
Issued
Apr 27 1999
Expiry
Sep 22 2017
Assg.orig
Entity
Small
2
3
EXPIRED
1. An adaptor device for connecting a sheathed heater with a power supply terminal comprising:
An adaptor sleeve into which an end of a heater wire of the sheathed heater and an end of a lead wire of the power supply terminal are inserted, and a flexible stranded wire in the form of a wave for connecting the ends of the heater wire and the lead wire in the adaptor sleeve.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an adaptor device for connecting a sheathed heater with a power supply terminal, and more particularly to an improvement of an adaptor device for connecting a heater wire of a sheathed heater such as a cable heater with a power supply lead wire, wherein the heater wire of the cable heater in the adaptor device is prevented from being broken.

2 . Description of the Prior Art

FIG. 1 shows a conventional adaptor device 2 for connecting an end of a heater wire 3 of a sheathed heater 1 of not greater than 7mm in outer diameter, for example, with an end of a lead wire 4 of a power supply, The end of the heater wire 3 is directly connected by welding with the end of the lead wire 4 in the adaptor device 2.

A reference numeral 6 denotes an insulating tube into which the ends of the heater wire 3 and the lead wire 4 are inserted, and a reference numeral 7 denotes a sleeve surrounding the insulating tube 6. A reference numeral 8 is an insulating powder material filled in the insulating tube 6 and the sleeve 7, 9 denotes a hermetically seal at each end of the sleeve 7, and 10 denotes a sheath of the sheathed heater 1. FIG. 2 shows a portion of the other conventional adaptor device 2, wherein the heater wire 3 is connected by a cylindrical intermediate terminal having a small inner diameter portion and a large inner diameter portion with the lead wire 4.

In such conventional adaptor devices, however, the heater wire 3 is liable to be broken in the adaptor device because the stress applied on the tip end of the heater wire 3 is increased due to the differences between the sleeve 7 of the adaptor device 2 and the lead wire 4 in the rate of thermal expansion. For example, if the sleeve 7 is larger in the rate of thermal expansion than the lead wire 4, an extendible force is applied on the tip end of the heater wire 3, whereas on the sleeve 7 is smaller in the rate of thermal expansion than the lead wire 4, a compressive force is applied on the tip end of the heater wire 3.

An object of the present invention is to obviate the above defects.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain an adaptor device for connecting a sheathed heater with a power supply terminal comprising an adaptor sleeve into which an end of a heater wire of the sheathed heater and an end of a lead wire of the power supply terminal are inserted, and a flexible wire for connecting the ends of the heater wire and the lead wire in the adaptor sleeve.

Further object of the present invention is to provide the adaptor device, wherein the flexible wire is a stranded wire.

The other object of the present invention is to provide the adaptor device, wherein the stranded wire is in the form of a wave.

The above and other objects as well as advantageous features of the present invention will become apparent form a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the appended claims, and accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional adaptor device;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the other conventional adaptor device;

FIG. 3 Is a sectional view of an adaptor device according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of an adaptor device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

In an embodiment of an adaptor device of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, an end of a heater wire 3 of the sheathed heater 1 and an end of a lead wire 4 of a power supply terminal are connected by a flexible wire 11 such as a stranded wire.

In the other embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the flexible wire 11 is corrugated, or in the form of a wave.

According to the adaptor device of the present invention, the extendible force or compressive force generated due to the differences between the sleeve 7 of the adaptor device 2 and the lead wire 4 in the rate of thermal expansion can be absorbed by the flexible wire 11.

Further, any stress generated by the twist etc. of the lead wire 4 when it is assembled into the adaptor device can be prevented from being concentrated on the tip end of the heater wire 3, so that the tip end of the heater wire 3 in the adaptor device can be prevented from being broken.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the sprit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Watanabe, Toru

Patent Priority Assignee Title
7182654, Sep 02 2005 Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc Method and apparatus for coupling a sheathed heater to a power harness
9301341, Mar 14 2013 CHROMALOX, INC Medium voltage heating element assembly
Patent Priority Assignee Title
2639359,
4551619, Jan 22 1985 CLEVELAND PROCESS CORPORATION Cable structure for immersion heaters or the like
5449861, Feb 24 1993 YAZAKI ENERGY SYSTEM CORPORATION Wire for press-connecting terminal and method of producing the conductive wire
//
Executed onAssignorAssigneeConveyanceFrameReelDoc
Sep 10 1997WATANABE, TORUSakaguchi Dennetsu Kabushiki KaishaASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS 0087310040 pdf
Sep 22 1997Sakaguchi Dennetsu Kabushiki Kaisha(assignment on the face of the patent)
Date Maintenance Fee Events
Sep 24 2002M283: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 4th Yr, Small Entity.
Sep 29 2006M2552: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 8th Yr, Small Entity.
Nov 29 2010REM: Maintenance Fee Reminder Mailed.
Apr 27 2011EXP: Patent Expired for Failure to Pay Maintenance Fees.


Date Maintenance Schedule
Apr 27 20024 years fee payment window open
Oct 27 20026 months grace period start (w surcharge)
Apr 27 2003patent expiry (for year 4)
Apr 27 20052 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4)
Apr 27 20068 years fee payment window open
Oct 27 20066 months grace period start (w surcharge)
Apr 27 2007patent expiry (for year 8)
Apr 27 20092 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8)
Apr 27 201012 years fee payment window open
Oct 27 20106 months grace period start (w surcharge)
Apr 27 2011patent expiry (for year 12)
Apr 27 20132 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12)